The Annotated Chronicles

Classic literature means different things to different people. While the Dragonlance Chronicles will most probably never be considered in the canon of classic literature, it has an important place in molding how we perceive the genre of fantasy today. Tolkien will always reign supreme as the father of modern fantasy. His works set the standards for much of what was to follow in the genre and they managed to break the barrier between fantasy and classic literature. What Dragonlance did for the genre is to move fantasy into the mainstream public eye. I wouldn't necessarily say that Dragonlance is a part of the foundation of modern fantasy, but I would consider Dragonlance (especially the Dragonlance Chronicles) to be a keystone in the show more gateway to the popularity of fantasy in modern culture today.

The late 70s and early 80s were a tough time for D&D gamers. Controversy about the game was rampant and it was associated with satanism and other negative images by many people who simply did not understand the game. The Dragonlance Chronicles were the first novels released by TSR. These books brought the magic of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign to the masses in a way that introduced people to the genre without them realizing that what they were reading was a stylized version of actual D&D gaming.

I think that what stood out most to me was that these books were no longer tucked away in the back corner of my favorite Walden Books or B. Dalton Booksellers in the mall. I discovered them in a full-fledged display at the front of the store near the register. I admit, I was a little late to the party, the display was advertising the release of Dragons of Spring Dawning, but it was displaying all three books of the Chronicles in their splendid glory. Thick paperback novels with spectacular cover art by Clyde Caldwell that begged the adolescent me to pick them up and find out what exactly they were about. Within seconds, I was asking my dad if I could get the first one of the series and I was hooked from there.

Looking back on it now, the marketing of these novels was brilliant. The artwork, stylized Dragonlance logo and fact that the only mention to Dungeons & Dragons was in a small blurb at the bottom of the back cover (to let those not in the know in on who the heck TSR was) were all brilliant moves in my opinion. All this led to a huge franchise, with many authors who contributed along the way, calendars, merchandise and even a film (although I cringe to mention it.) What it also led to were many other franchises of novels from TSR: The Greyhawk Adventures, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft and many other fantasy settings saw runs of novels. I also feel that the impact outside of TSR extended throughout the genre and led the way to the popularity of fantasy that we see in fiction, film and television (and almost every aspect of merchandising imaginable) that we enjoy today. When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, fantasy films were few and far between for someone who was enthralled by the genre. We had the Conan films, Beastmaster, Dragonslayer and several other films that, while usually campy, served as the staple for encouraging game play and our hopes for future films. Now, fantasy is everywhere in film and television and I feel that a big part of that is due to the popularity of the original Dragonlance Chronicles.

In regards to the novels themselves, I feel that they are well written, enjoyable pieces of fantasy fiction that really take the reader along with them on their journey. The real strengths of the novel are the beloved characters that are developed throughout the series. These characters became both our heroes and our friends and we truly mourned when one of them was taken from us. The adventures in these novels are exciting and fun and the stories move quickly with rarely a dull moment to be found. I highly recommend this series for fans of the fantasy genre. They are written in a style that is appealing for almost any age and are a good entry point for those who haven't read much fantasy and are interested in getting into the genre. show less

It was a nice treat to reread the classic DragonLance Chronicles. This Trilogy (Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, Dragons of Spring Dawning) launched a long list of sequels, prequels and other DL stories. I first read these back in high school and they still are fun. Their charm and downfall as good fantasy writing are the same thing. The set of characters is a prototypical 'balanced' Dungeons & Dragons party, covering all the bases of character class and race. As I recall, the classes were Fighter (Caramon), Ranger (Tanis), Paladin (Sturm), Barbarian (Riverwind), Thief (Tasslehoff), Cleric (Goldmoon), Mage (Raistlin), Dwarf (Flint), Elf (Laurana) and Half-Elf (Tanis again). I guess a half-orc was just too much. Now, show more in its defense, the novels were based on a set of D&D modules (adventure outlines) written by Hickman, Douglas Niles and Jeff Grubb. Margaret Weis was an aspiring writer working as TSR book editor and their gaming group decided to write a novel about their DL campaign. The first book was successful (as were the modules) and a trilogy was completed. The storyline deviated farther and farther from their game story to make for better writing and they became quite popular in the nerd sect. Most mainstream media critics either hated the books or wouldn't even bother reviewing them, since they were 'pulp' fantasy. I say they are pretty good, not great, and are worthy of a place on any fantasy shelf.
As far as the story, a group of adventurers from the treehouse town of Solace are returning from a five year quest to find any sign of the true Gods who had been missing in the realm of Krynn since the Cataclysm hundreds of years earlier (two parenthetical notes here-two Meetings trilogies and two Preludes trilogies were later written to cover these years and before, and also there will be mention of the Cataclysm in my write-up of the superior Legends set). This allows introductions of the characters in the form of old friends meeting again after years apart, which I always liked. The characters return after their adventures to Solace bearing reports of war in the north (Krynn is a southern hemisphere land) and reports of dragons and dragonarmies. Clerics of a false religion called Seekers have taken over Solace and when a Plainswoman bearing a crystal staff seeks refuge in Solace, the group flees the town with them when the Seekers demand their arrest. The staff is the Staff of Mishakal, the old goddess of healing. Thus bearing proof of the return of the gods, hijinks and adventures ensue, Elves are snotty but good hearted, the Dragonarmies are eventually defeated and a good time was had by all.
Well, not really all. The characters are all pretty interesting and have many great things and horrible things happen along the way. You know-love, death, joy, humor, goofy absentminded wizards, fighting Draconian soldiers (humanoid Dragonkin). To me, There are two aspects of the tales that I really enjoyed. The first is Tasslehoff, the kender. Kender are hobbit-like little people that have a talent for 'borrowing' things and are generally considered a major nuisance by all. But Tas is one of the funniest characters I have ever read. His relationship with Flint, the typical grumpy dwarf, is great. You have to read the books to really appreciate this but they are like an Oscar and Felix Odd Couple. Also, the red-robed (soon to be black-robed) mage Raistlin and his twin brother Caramon are also well thought out characters. Caramon is a great swordsman and Raistlin is a frail and sickly mage. Raistlin is very selfish and uncaring but extremely powerful. However, he has a soft spot for the weak and downtrodden, as he once was himself as a child. This gives him some 'evil Gandalf' type mojo. The subsequent Legends trilogy is mostly about Raistlin and Caramon.
As a wrapup, the story is good but the characters are great, even if the mix is a typically unrealistic D&D group. I believe that Weis and Hickman really grew as writers with this trilogy and went on to better things later, but the Chronicles will always have a special spot in my nerdy heart. The Annotated Chronicles omnibus is the best way to go, because you get an insight into the ideas and growth of the authors and, even though an introduction says nay, the spoiler factor of the annotation is minimal and, in my opinion, lets you appreciate the story far more. I have no problem with a few *"This foreshadows future events..." notes. I don't recall anything that would ruin the story at all. show less

It’s not literature. The books will probably never be considered to be even close to a fantasy classic.... It borrows most of its concepts and plot elements from The Lord of the Rings. Its dialogue is simple and even anachronistic at times... But having said that, when it came out back in 1984-1985, the story quickly became the favorite of many readers and its popularity just grew....

Despite its pitfalls, what made Dragonlance Chronicles loved by many...? Well, in the simple way the authors tell their story, they made the characters seem “real”.... For that reason, the authors make it easier to relate to the characters and make people actually care for them.

It is through the characters that we are transported to the continent of show more Ansalon and see it through their eyes. And there lies the magic of Dragonlance Chronicles, a clichéd and flawed story but with wonderful and timeless characters that will live forever inside those of us who have been fortunate enough to get to know them. (more) show less

Actually six books in one. Read the series when i was still a teen and was totally astonished at this time but nowadays I just took a trip on memory lane and revisited it.

First of all this is a special edition of all six books within one volume with additional side notes by the authors (which is nice). The overall look of the volume like american rococo: Gilt edge, ared ribbon and a cover that doesn´t really feel like leather show good will but don´t make this book feel really worthy. Also the layout with the dragonlance logo twice on every double-page doesn´t really convince me of being something special. But ok it´s all about the content:

I won´t recap the story - it´s the basic fantasy setting: Roleplaying meets a bit of a show more Tolkien world with some exceptions. within the setting and a happy end Was very entertaining when i was young - still got´s some puns when you read it again after a certain age but I won´t do it again. show less

The Dragonlance Chronicles are one of the great fantasy epics of all time (IMHO). A quest, dragons, a fellowship of good, a world at war, magic - it has it all. This omnibus collects the original trilogy (Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night and Dragons of Spring Dawning) in one beautiful, leather-bound edition. It has gilt edging and a simple, but elegant, holographic cover design. Highly recommended!

If you haven't read the series before I suggest you get the three paperbacks instead. The Chronicles are a fantasy classic and if you like the genre you must read this series. This version is only for the diehard fans though, and this is why; first it is very heavy and makes for uncomfortable reading. I weighed this thing on my bathroom scale (not terrible accurate, I know) and it came in at about 4 pounds. Not something you can really curl up on the couch and read. Second, hardbacks have sharp edges. Also something that makes it physically uncomfortble to read. Third, the main reason to get this version is because it's supposed to be the directors commentary version. The problem is that the commentary is a little sparse. There were not show more nearly as many interesting insights to be had here as I was expecting. The nearly $30 price tag doesn't really have as much payoff as once would expect. Especially considering you could pick up the paperbacks at a used book store for about 1/3 of that. Now, all that being said, if you already are a diehard Dragonlance fan you will probably want to pick this up anyway if only to read the commentary (no matter how sparce it is) and display proudly on your bookshelf. show less

One of my favorite trilogy's from High School. This edition contains some comments from the authors and a few others. Sorta wished for a little bit more on the comments, but overall the story's still the same.